1996 Chrysler Town and Country LXI review from North America
"This van gave me nothing but worry and stress"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country LXI with 63,389 miles in April 2002. The van has had the following problems:
Replaced 3 transmissions (The transmission was replaced once before I bought the van)
Replaced A/C Compressor @ 64,865 miles.
Transmission Leak @ 64,865 miles.
Replaced PCM (the vans computer) @ 69,614 miles.
Replaced Right Front Axle @ 71,645 miles.
Replaced starter @ 88,546 miles.
Replaced Battery Switch, Battery and Door Ajar Switch @ 93,999 miles.
Replaced EGR and Blower Motor @ 95,516 miles.
The crazy and dangerous wiper problem. Replaced multi-function switch, which did not work. Replaced wiper motor, which did not work, Replaced the BCM (Body Control Module) which did not work. I decided not to pursue this problem. I now use Rainx, which works just as well as wipers, when traveling at least 40 mph.
The van alarm goes off about 1 out of 6 times getting into the vehicle. My daughter puts her hands over her ears, every time I go to unlock the van.
The right side sliding door does not unlock or lock electronically.
The stereo has blown the speakers. This was a problem when we bought the van, but didn't catch it in time. The CD player will occasionally stop playing and states “Disc Err”
The leather on the driver's side seat seems to be dissolving.
Finally, the van is only firing 4 out of the 6 cylinders, because of a bad PCM (the van's computer). Once the PCM is tapped on lightly with a hammer, the 2 cylinders fire again. The dealership also said that the van needs a new coil pack, with the new computer or they will not guarantee their work. This is going to cost $1100. The van currently has 135,000 miles on it and I think it's time to put the “Old Boy” down. Of course, any of you reading this review probably think I should have done this many miles ago.
If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. I will be checking this site regularly. I have so many more details about the above problems that may give you more insight.
General comments?
Please do your research when thinking about purchasing a Chrysler Town and Country or a Dodge Caravan... the earlier models anyway.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Liter V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 63389 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| Date of Entry | 28th August, 2006 |